The Walk to War

[Rachel Hymer]

The students of Orchid Hill Academy marched out of the large, historical building, though the forest and into the great open. There were about fifty of them there, all set on recovering Macy Deltine, the student how had been kidnapped on the night of the dance, over two weeks ago.
Rachel was near the front of the group, wearing the armour she had received in the Assembly Hall before leaving. It wasn't too windy that day, basically a light breeze and the sky had a layer of cloudy that was heading towards the east. She was going through her thoughts of what had happened that day. Meeting Parmida, who had just sent them off with Professor Hoodham and Professor Thandie. The other students who had not met her earlier in the Catacombs were a bit confused with who she actually was, why she looked dead, why she had a red-eyed tiger following her and why even their headmaster felt intimidated by her.
Rachel looked infront of her, over the large plains, lined with mountains to the right and wide meadows with blowing grass that went out to the horizon to the left. They were heading just beyond the mountains where the enemy camps were.
Rachel was whispering to her spirits, asking them to protect her and the others and Macy.
They were beginning to get closer and closer to their destination. Her heart started to thump harder, not knowing what was going to happen. Her grandmother had sent her another letter recently, telling her of more curses, so she was going through them in her mind.
What if enemy watch saw them? A gush a fear came across her body, but made herself keep walking. They were going to do this.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

Madeleine's heart was pounding in her chest, a steady drumbeat for the rhythm of her walking.
Thump, thump, thump...
Her blood was rushing through her veins, bubbling with the thought of the fight ahead. Every single part of her body was itching to get going, tingling with the excitement...
But even through all that, a part of her mind was nagging her. This was what was called her conscience.
You could be leading all these people to their deaths! You're not prepared, you know you're not - two weeks isn't enough! Are you sure that you want to risk all of these people's lives? You have to rescue Macy, but do all these people need to be put at risk for it?
She glanced back at the Warriors.
They know the risks. They wouldn't have agreed to it if they didn't want to do it. And besides, what other choice do we have?
That was right, Madeleine thought. They had to do this. And they were Warriors, they wanted to do it. And some of these people, their family and friends had been murdered by the enemy, they would be in this for the same reason that she was. They could get the revenge that they hungered after. They could avenge the killed, and they would avenge what happened to Macy.
And they were all armed, and they were prepared. They all knew the risks...
Right?[/b]
Okay, shut up, brain.
The light breeze blew her hair over her face. Impatiently, she brushed it away. Despite her doubts, she couldn't wait to get out there on the field. Not only to fight, but to get it all over with, as cleanly as possible.
She was just praying that the Spies were right, and that they wouldn't be outnumbered. Praying that all of their army would be okay. Praying that they'd find Macy.
And praying that she'd be alive at the end of it all.
She heard Professor Hoodham clear his throat, and turned around. The body of Warriors stopped.
"This is where we are to leave you," he said, glancing at Professor Thandie.
Madeleine's chest constricted. She'd known that Professors Hoodham and Thandie would be leaving them, but she'd felt a lot safer when they were there. Now, there were no fully trained gifted people here, just a large group of teenagers.
They were alone.
"However," he continued. "While I will be leaving, Professor Thandie will be remaining, to help you in your battle."
Madeleine looked at Professor Thandie gratefully, feeling a little of the pressure on her ebb away.
Professor Hoodham said a few more words that Madeleine couldn't catch, then finished with. "Good luck to you all, and keep safe. God go with you. Ago in spes quod Vires."
God go with you...
That was what her parents had written in their email to her. She felt a stab of guilt as she though about how they would be feeling about the risk she was putting herself through. A new rush of determination ran through her.
I'm not going to die.
As Professor Hoodham walked away, they turned, and started to walk again towards the trenches.
The path became rockier, and it became harder to keep balanced, and not to stumble. They frequently found themselves clutching onto rocks to keep them from falling on their faces.
Save the damage for the battle, guys.
A yelp came from behind her, and Jenny, a Warrior in the year above Madeleine, was down on the ground, having caught her leg on a rock. Blood trickled down from her leg, staining her trouser leg crimson.
Madeleine ran back and knelt down beside her. "You okay?"
Jenny nodded, but with a grimace that said clearly that she wasn't okay at all.
Somehow, Madeleine's hand was reaching out to Jenny's leg of it's own accord. As it touched the cut gently, a golden glow emitted from her hand, and the cut healed over.
Mutters of amazement started in the crowd, and Madeleine found herself staring at her hand. She had absolutely no idea that she could do that.
Well, there was her fourth power - and good timing.
The walk proceeded again, and as they got closer, Madeleine's heart started to beat faster and faster, excitement building up, blood rushing in her ears. This was it...
... and then, they'd reached the trenches, still luckily unseen by the enemy.
She looked around at her Warriors, seeing the glint in each of their eyes, the excitement, the determination, and the bloodlust.
"Right guys. This is it. You know the plan, so ... good luck. All of you, and keep yourself safe, please. Good luck. On three," she called.
This was it. This was what she'd been made for.
"Three..."
And now all hell was going to break loose, just as it should. Ordered chaos. She was leading it. She was going to fight.
"Two..."
And they'd win.
Shivers ran down her spine. This was it, it was coming. It was coming. The Warriors looked at her, waiting on edge for the signal.
The faces of Major Hoodham, Macy, Shaun, Will, Kira and Lee leapt up clearly in her mind. She was going to fight for Major Hoodham, Macy and Shaun, and she was was going to live for Will, Kira and Lee.
Madeleine drew her gun, placing her finger on the trigger...
"... one."

[Erin Rakal]

Erin stood beside Rachel, her heart beating quickly. So strong, tapping against the beat of death.
People would die. And it alarmed her to know of the joy that would soon fill her eyes as one enemy after another were brought down. Everyone seemed to be on alert - Erin could only assume that they had a patrol. Her fingers curled into fists, and she closed her eyes tightly as she felt another wave of pain come from her curse; she knew its thirst for blood would soon be quenched.
She felt as if she'd come from the modern world and been plunged into the warfield of the Romans. Who was she? Definately not the girl who lived off of fear.
She had been reborn at this school, finally finding her calling.
But there would always be part of the old Erin; her distate against strangers, the urge to fight to feel the strong adrenaline.
A shiver curled its way up her spine, making her shudder slightly.
People would die - mass amounts of them. She didn't deny that if they brought an army out here, she'd get rid of more than half of them.
Just because she couldn't control the animal inside of her, people would die. Even when they didn't need to. And she would bring them down.
Just because she could.
Once again she could hear the screams of the people she'd previously killed ring in her mind. It seemed as if everyone she killed left their fearful voices in her head.
If that were the case, the voices would become alot louder after today.
With a snarl, she unsheathed those deadly metal blades, raising them to the sky; sunlight flashed off of them, setting the place around her on fire with light. A roar split through her, and she unleashed her anger with two words. Two words that would make up for the people who would be dead after today, never to rise again. She was now in the lead of the group as she gave her massive battle cry.
"FOR MACY!!!" she yelled to the sky, closing her eyes as she could feel them beginning to turn bloodred, a sign...
...that she was handing her control to the curse, but she knew it wasn't barbaric enough to attack her friends; it saw the enemy camp as a wave of helpless blood.
She would kill today...and delight in every person she brought down.